Sexually Transmitted Diseases: How Much Do Adolescents Know?

Background: Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) are a major area of world public health. Behavior at risk, often encountered in the very young, is among the determinants of their incidence. The aim of this study was to establish how aware adolescents are of the risk of STD. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in May and June 2014 in three high schools in the town of Arezzo. The data was obtained with an anonymous questionnaire. Sample size, calculated by EpiInfo (C.I. 99%) was 390. The t-test and ANOVA were used to compare males and females and the different school years (classes); the Odds Ratio was used to evaluate propensity to answer the questions correctly by females and males and in 3rd years compared to 4th and 5th years. The number of questionnaires analysed was 603. Results: The mean age of participants was 17.8 years (SD 1.01); 62.2% were female. A correct definition of STD was given by 64.3%: males outnumbering females (OR 1.48, p<0.05) and 5th year outnumbering 3rd and 4th years (p<0.001). A high percentage of students (98.5%) knew that HIV was sexually transmitted and awareness was also high with regard to syphilis (79.6%) and Candida infection (72.3%). Older students were less informed about HPV that younger students (OR 0.55; p<0.001). Exchange of syringe needles between drug abusers and unprotected sexual intercourse were recognized as risky for STD by 92.5% and 78.2% of the sample, respectively; 66.4% knew that ignorance was associated with situations of high risk. The percentage of respondents using condoms for intercourse with casual partners was 85.4%, falling to 42.9% for habitual partners; only 55.9% knew that the contraceptive pill does not protect against infection. Conclusion: In general, respondents’ awareness of the problem showed many gaps, especially regarding behaviour exposing to risk of infection and regarding methods of protection. Since this knowledge is indispensable for risk perception, projects to inform and raise awareness are important to promote behaviour that will prevent transmission of STD, especially in the very young.